What is Moab, Utah Famous For?

Having gained fame for it’s Moab Desert and unique red rock landscape that covers thousands of square miles, Moab, Utah is one of the American Southwest’s most desirable destinations for outdoor recreation. The city of Moab is in eastern Utah on Grand County’s southern edge and is the largest city in the county, as well as the county seat. The total area is only 4.1 square miles, all land, and the elevation is 4,026 feet.

With all that land, there’s a lot of great things to see and do in Moab — here are a few ideas of what Moab is famous for.

Moab Activities

It has such an extensive network of trails with highly polished rock formations that it’s one of the top places to go if you’re into mountain biking or trail running. It’s a great place to run if you’re a trail runner, especially since it has some of the most beautiful views while on foot. In addition to mountain biking, there are river expeditions of different lengths and experience levels. White water rafting is a great outdoor activity to try in Moab, since the Colorado River runs through giant valleys and the excursions go along with camping along the river. All of these activities are why Moab is known as the Multisport Mecca.

The Moab Desert

The Moab Desert is adorned with canyon mazes, the giant sandstone formations, and more. You will see amazing plants and animals that manage to survive in an area that receives less than 10 inches of precipitation per year. For example, cacti have special means of storing and conserving water. Plants also adapt by growing extremely long roots that allow them to acquire moisture at or near a water table.

Moab National Parks

Moab is the only destination in Utah where you can visit two of The Mighty 5 National Parks, Arches and Canyonlands.

Arches National Park has the spectacular red rock landscape and the famous Delicate Arch, which is an amazing free-standing and delicately-chiseled arch that is one of the world’s most famous geologic features. In the midst of more than 2,000 stone arches, it is spectacular with it’s opening beneath the arch that is 32 feet in width and 46 feet high.

The trail to see Delicate Arch is three miles round-trip and climbs 480 feet, or you can walk a level 100 yards and see the arch from one mile away at the Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint. And Canyonlands National Park is under an hour’s drive from Moab and is famous for mountain biking, particularly for it’s White Rim Road in the Island in the Sky District, which got its name because of its location high on a mesa overlooking the gorgeous views.

Dead Horse State Park is often referred to as the Little Grand Canyon due to its beautiful views of the Colorado River below dramatic 2,000-foot cliffs, and the La Sal Mountains are only 20 miles from Moab, with alpine mountains attaining heights of almost 13,000 feet; they’re Utah’s second highest mountain range.

Exploring Moab

Grassroots Events hosts two of the best annual trail running races in Utah for all levels of runners: the Moab Red Hot and the Amasa Run.

So if you’re interested in trail racing or ultra racing and need a good excuse to visit Moab, check them out. Our sister company Canyon Voyages also offers guided running adventures if you’d like to just get out and explore Moab’s beautiful trails on foot.